Allardyce: I Think We Are Safe

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce is confident that relegation has now been avoided following the 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Saturday, which took us onto the "magic" 40 points.

Mathematically Rovers can still go down, however, this isn't going to be the case as the goals from Morten Gamst Pedersen and Benni McCarthy (to secure a third successive Ewood Park win) should be enough as Allardyce expects us to pick up more points, but is delighted that survival is virtually assured now.

Allardyce told Sky Sports: "Mathematically we might not be safe, but I think we are. With two games to go I expect us to pick up some more points as well, I don't expect us to switch off.

"Where we have got to in our quest to get out of trouble is magnificent and it was topped off by today's performance by a group of players that are committed and determined to make sure they're going to play in the best league in the world next season again."

Big Sam was full of credit to the players (which on the whole are the same ones that he inherited from former Rovers manager Paul Ince) who he believes deserve a lot of credit.

He added: "All credit goes to them. Over the 19 games I've been here, the achievements and efforts they've given have been well rewarded by getting to this magic 40-point mark.

"We have achieved 27 points in 19 games - that's half a season - so it shows you just how well we've done.

"We've clocked up a home record of five wins, four draws and only one defeat and we've just now finished with three home wins on the trot for the first time in three or four years, so we've done an unbelievable job."

The interviewer asked Big Sam what he thought the main difference between himself and Ince was, to which he answered: "Man management."

Also adding: "I think that you assess the situation in the very difficult circumstances that we were in and you try and understand the players, what they're feeling and try and alleviate their fears.

"You try to bring the positive mental side of them out and try and get them back to using their ability under the pressure that they're under.

"I think we've done very well and I think that, obviously, the backroom staff who have worked with me have worked exceptionally hard to get the players prepared.

"The players have gone out on the pitch and it has been a team effort on and off the field.

"And, for me, the fans have never been anything but supportive, over the last two games filling both ends and the players have responded to that."

We are staying up!!!

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Your Comments (oldest first)

yep, you are safe now guys - good luck for the rest of the season and beyond... as it is i reckon we will be ok aswell, but not due to our own actions, but because those below us are worse than we are!

For all those who criticised sacking Ince and bringing in Sam you can hopefully see you were wrong. Harry Redknapp and Tony Adams were two who spoke up saying Ince should have been given more time but we would have been relegated under him. Sam is the man and we'll move from strength to strength under him - of that we can be sure.

We're safe Mikey and it's because Sam came in and got us winning - but in my opinion Ince should have been given more time - if he won that Stoke match who knows what might have happened - but credit to Sam he has done an excellent job with the team and got the players motivated to get points. Hopefully next season we'll play a bit more 'football' but aside from that there are no complaints from me

i was one that wanted ince to go, but i do believe he may have kept us up too and his brand of football would be different, he made some great moves like switching warnock to midfield and tbh andrews aint done too bad either, but it was a gamble to keep him and in the end the board made the right decision

We needed more guarantees and frankly Allardyce offers that more than Ince by a mile! We need to remember that the training ground became a free for all under Ince and it most definitely isnt under Sam.

I think Ince made some mistakes, where he did things in league 2 that probably weren't transferrable to the premier league. I think he'll learn from it and do a better job next time. Certainly has the right footballing philosophy from an attacking point of view, so good luck to him. When it comes to the appointment of Allardyce, the board definitely made the right decision because we are safe, and that was the aim. Can't argue with that

Mikey D - The only reason that Tony Adams, Harry Redknapp complained of the sacking of Ince, is that they wanted us to go down, along with West Brom (at the time) leaving only pne pther space to fill! They were p!ssed off that wouldn't happened. They didn't applaud our appointment of another English manager! I wouldn't have been happy with the appointment of Allardice at the beginning of the season, given his reputation of 'ugly' football, and the team we had were better than that. However, in the situation we were when Ince went, Allardice was the only man for the job (or Harry Redknapp...he seems to be able to make teams escape...!). Unfortunately, I can see another 'ugly' season, with us being hard to beat. The season after will be a growth in footballing skills.

I could of kept Spurs up with that budget though! lol... and i agree with what you were saying Decimus but why both couldnt just admit that was what they meant is another smear on football and the dishonesty that exists!!!

Whoever thinks Ince would have kept us up this season must be deluded!!! I'm not saying the guy wont be a good manager but this was a bridge too far from him...an ageing team who had flattered to deceive the season before and then lost their best three players...Friedel, Bentley and RSC (his head has not been on us all season)
Sam is the only man on the planet who can acheive anything at Rovers on the budget he will be given...We cant expect to play football and win against teams who spend 15m on a single player!!!
We have got the best man, the only man to keep us in the Premier League as a respected club..

Ince had a tough job - he, as you say mani lost two of our best players, then santa too through injury - however, I think the bigger issue was that we lost Mark Hughes when we were flying and he had to follow a successful manager. We have come to enjoy success and top half table finishes - that is something Ince could not replicate in his debute season.

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